Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container

Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container used onApollo 11
Operator	NASA
Manufacturer	Union Carbide,Y-12 National Security Complex
Instrument type	Storage and transport container
Function	Preservation and safe return of lunar samples
Began operations	Apollo 11
Ceased operations	Apollo 17
Host spacecraft
Spacecraft	Apollo Lunar Module

TheApollo Lunar Sample Return Container (ALSRC), colloquially referred to as the "rock box," was a specially designedaluminum container used during theApollo program to collect, seal, and returnlunar samples to Earth. ALSRC units flew on crewed Apollo lunar landing missions between 1969 and 1972.

The ALSRC was made of aluminum and incorporated a triple-seal system to prevent contamination of the lunar material and to maintain an internal vacuum. Its interior was lined with an aluminum mesh that cushioned rock and soil samples during transport.^[1]

To ensure airtight sealing, it employed knife-edge seals and high-temperatureO-rings. The container featured toggle-lever latches and a T-bar, allowingastronauts with bulky pressurized gloves to secure it reliably on thelunar surface.^[2]

Duringextravehicular activity (EVA), astronauts placed lunar rock and soil samples into numberedTeflon sample bags, then sealed the bags inside an ALSRC.^[3] Upon return to Earth, the containers were transferred to theLunar Receiving Laboratory at theJohnson Space Center, where they were opened in nitrogen-purgedgloveboxes to avoid terrestrial contamination. Some containers and their contents remained sealed for decades to allow for study with future analytical techniques. Several were only opened after 2019.^[4]

The ALSRC addressed challenges of lunar sample preservation, including exposure to vacuum, extreme temperatures, and vibration during launch and re-entry. NASAmechanical engineerYvonne Y. Clark was noted for her contributions to the design and testing of the containers.^[5]

The aluminum boxes were cast, machined, and assembled byUnion Carbide Corporation's Nuclear Division at theY-12 National Security Complex inOak Ridge, Tennessee, which was under contract with NASA, with a total of 16 being made.

A number of ALSRCs are preserved in museums. The container used onApollo 11 is held by theNational Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., while others are displayed at institutions including theSan Diego Air & Space Museum.^[6]

• Apollo program
• Lunar sample
• Sample-return mission
• Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility

• Video: From Oak Ridge to the Moon - Y-12 on the history of the Moon box

Wikimedia Commons has media related toApollo Lunar Sample Return Container.

• Apollo program hardware
• Exploration of the Moon
• Missions to the Moon

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